


Another Turn of The Screw

by Wild_Loony_99



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Character Study, Childhood Trauma, Children, Death, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Female Friendship, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gay Panic, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Character, Love, Other, Pain, Panic Attacks, Parenthood, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Romantic Friendship, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:14:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27074050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wild_Loony_99/pseuds/Wild_Loony_99
Summary: Lord Henry Wingrave had imperfectly passed away that dreadful night, laying on the cold wet grass, close to the lake´s edge.What misfortunes would befall the children now that their estranged uncle had died?Would Flora and Miles be sent away, out into the dark? Would the dark get them, a piece at a time, over years and years and years, until their fragile bodies break down and there are on silver tables, with their jaws wired shut?Or would a sweet yet firmed American teacher, with a thick accent, inner demons and the inability to make tea; a hot-headed, tough, shinning beacon of reform gardener, with a heart of gold and an unconditional love for plants and for a certain American; and a delicate cook, with bad puns and deep traumas, change the children´s dreadful fate?
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie, Hannah Grose/Owen Sharma
Comments: 13
Kudos: 83





	Another Turn of The Screw

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, you perfect splendid people! 
> 
> Have you guys managed to stop crying after the finale? 
> 
> Because I have not. That´s why I´m here. To present another turn of the screw. 
> 
> Imagine what would happen to Miles and Flora if Henry had died that night on the lake. Would the children be put to adoption? What would happen? 
> 
> I gently ask that you bear with me during this beginning. 
> 
> I know that Henry and Hannah´s deaths are sad and that most of you are here for the fluff and not to cry your eyes out once again. But in other to move along with the story plots, there will be some suffering throughout those first chapters. I promise that things will look better after a while and there will be fluff. Who knows, maybe even some smut involving a certain Au Pair and a certain gardener, if the story picks up. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> Also, I don´t have a beta, so if you see some mistake, please point it out to me in the comments. Keep in mind that English is not my first language. 
> 
> I hope you have a perfectly splendid Sunday. 
> 
> W.L.

**Chapter One – The Perfectly Dreadful Endless Dark**

Bly Manor stood by itself, against its hills, holding darkness within. Within, walls stood upright, bricks met neatly; floors were firm. Silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Bly Manor.

An imperfectly desolating scene was unfolding on the lake´s edges. Time stood still for severe moments. The only audible sound was a bone fracturing.

_Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Thirty_. The cook counted mentally while compressing the lifeless rib cage. Owen knew that he had broken at least one rib. He knew that Henry Wingrave was beyond saving. However, the cook stood on the lawn, feeling the cold wind blowing against his arms, trying to breathe life into his Henry´s body, repeating a series of mechanical movements.

\- When he checks the well… Please tell Owen that I´m sorry. – Pleaded Hannah on a low tone, standing close to Lord Wingrave. They were feet apart from the cook. Standing on the lawn, merely observing the scene unwinding before their eyes: Owen, overwhelmed with chock, simply compressing Henry´s chest, on a failed attempt to resuscitate Lord Wingrave. – Tell him I love him. – Continued the former governess on the same tone. - And the rest, well… it´s just… _confetti_. – Hannah conclude on a lighter tone, with a smile on her face, as if foreshadowing her fate.

Owen shivered. A perfect dreadful familiar sensation passed through his body. The same lump on his throat. The same gut-wrenching realisation he had felt days before, while Jamie stood daunted on Bly´s living room, holding the telephone on her right hand, gazing him with sad eyes, before repeatedly telling him that she was sorry, _so sorry._ And in that second, he knew. The cook knew that Henry was not coming back. Owen knew that something terrible had happened.

* * *

A few feet apart from the cook, stood Dani.

The _Au Pair_ was in the middle of the perfectly dreadful lake.

There was a dense fog covering the pond. 

Suddenly, there were water splashes and Dani came to her senses.

Flora´s little hands were hugging the _Au Pair_ ´s neck, tight. The little girl´s face was pale and frighten, as she gazed her very own Mary Poppin´s, searching for directions and safety.

Meanwhile, Dani´s mind was running wild. Her eyes were moving side to side, frenetically. Her lips were murmuring incoherent words. 

On one second, the _Au Pair_ was panting on the edge of the lake. She could feel the mud slowing entering her high-top black All Stars, dragging her feet down the water. The cold muddy water was covering her knees as she said, gasping: “It´s-It´s you! … It´s me! … It´s us!”.

It was something she did not entirely understand, but something she felt, in her bones.

Dani remembered hearing Jamie´s voice calling her name, from a great distance.

The _Au Pair_ remembered listening to her last words echoing inside her mind: “It´s us. It´s-It´s us. Us Us.”. 

\- It – It´s us. It´s us. It – It´s us. – Dani heard herself deliriously repeat those words, while her eyes moved side to side on a hectic pace and her body quivered.

\- Dani! – Jamie screamed at the top of her lungs on a terrified tone while entering the lake.

There were more water splashes, then a shivering wet familiar arm holding the _Au Pair_ ´s back. Flora whimpered as a wounded animal, holding Dani closer in an act of utter fear.

\- No! It´s okay! – The _Au Pair_ tried to soothe the frightened little girl while the gardener hugged them. However, Dani´s tone was trembled, and her mind was racing. – It´s okay. It-It´s okay. It´s okay. It´s – It´s o – It´s – Dani continued in a hysterical tone, panting.

\- It´s okay. – Jamie spoke softly, seeking to calm Dani down. – Shhh – Shhhh. – The gardener reassured the _Au Pair_ , while watching Dani´s eyes moving side to side on a delirious pace. – Okay. – Jamie said once again, calmly, furrowing her eyebrows while Dani gasped for air. The gardener pressed her forehead into Dani´s, soothing her. – Okay. – She said one more time.

\- It´s okay. – Dani repeated on a calmer tone while Flora hugged her tighter.

The _Au Pair_ leaned against Jamie´s shoulder, while Flora was between them, holding their waists.

The trio made their way into the lake´s edge, panting and trembling. 

* * *

On the dew wet grass, close to the water well, awoke a confused Miles. The boy flushed his eyes open, not quite knowing where he was. _Where was the Forever House? Where were Mom and Dad and Flora? Peter had promise. He had promise there would be no more pain._ The young boy though. Yet Miles´s head was aching.

He slowly sat up, holding his knees. 

Lost and unsure about what had happened, Miles got up. He shook off the dust from his clothes before walking towards the statue´s garden.

Once he got passed the statues and began walking towards the dreadful lake, Mile saw the imperfectly desolating scene unwinding in front of him: Owen, kneeling down next to his uncle´s Henry lifeless body, unsuccessfully trying to breathe life into him. Mile´s heart started racing. The young boy could feel a lump on his throat. A shiver ran up his spine. Before Mile could even register, he was running to Henry´s side, kneeling close to Owen and gazing the still corpse.

\- Uncle Henry? – The boy spoke tentatively, terrified. 

The cook shifted, staring directly into the young boy´s deep blue eyes. There was shock written on Mile´s porcelain face. The boy seemed even younger than he was. Just a lost child. One that had faced more death and pain that any child ever should. The cook could see that Miles was frighten, fragile. So, Owen did for Miles exactly what Hannah had done for him a few days prior. He pulled the young boy into a hug, holding Miles close to his´s chest. Owen soothed Miles, speaking gentle sweet words.

Soon enough, arrived Flora, followed closely by Dani and Jamie, that were hugging each other tight. The little girl rushed to Henry´s other side, kneeling on the wet grass.

\- Uncle Henry! Uncle Henry! – Pleaded the little girl on a trembling tone, with wide eyes and quivering lips.

“Go” the _Au Pair_ mouthed to the gardener, managing to stand on her own two feet. Dani´s could feel a knot in her throat. The tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. She quickly blinked them away, cleaning her face with the back of her hand. She had to be strong for the kids.

Jamie kneeled next to Flora, gently held her little face, staring at her now tearful big brown eyes and hugged her tight. It was a familiar feeling for Jamie. The softness to which she was comforting the little girl. Then, it occur to the gardener that she had done that before: On the day that she found Flora standing by the edge of the lake, gazing the lifeless bloated corpse of the children´s former _Au Pair_ , Rebecca Jessel.

\- Okay, it´s okay… You´re okay. – She whispered to Flora on a soft tone. – You´re all good. – She continued in the same tone. – I got you… It´s gonna be okay. – The gardener repeated.

Twenty minutes went by, between sobs, hugs, and soothes, before the _Au Pair_ found enough strength to convince the children that Jamie and Owen would take care of Henry and that they should go back inside the manor.

* * *

In the following day, a rainy Wednesday, a dreadful melancholy settled over Bly Manor as Lord Henry Wingrave´s body was put to rest on the Lloyd´s graveyard.

It was a simple and quiet ceremony, performed by a local priest, on the manor´s church. 

Flora could not stop the hot tears from running down her pale face as she buried her face into Dani´s waistline.

Mile´s porcelain face was even paler than normal, his once curious big blue eyes, now gazed dully into the void. The young boy had not uttered a single word since the realization of his uncle´s death had settled in.

The _Au Pair_ , the cook and the gardener did their best to comfort the children.

Dani hugged Flora tight, reminded her that she was loved, and that dead did not mean gone, that her uncle loved her so much, that in her memory he would always be with her. The _Au Pair_ told her tales of far away lands, with kings, queens, princesses, and princes. Manacheistics stories where good always defeated evil, and everyone was always perfect splendid. Dani did so in hopes that Flora would be able to distract herself, even if it were for a few moments, from the pain and the hurt. That the little girl would be tucked away on a distant land, perfectly splendid.

Owen made Flora´s her favourite food: A macaroni-and-cheese sandwich. He cooked Miles´s favourite dish: Steak pie. The cook also barked two separated cakes: One with strawberry for Flora and another one with lemon for Miles. The little girl slowly ate one half of the sandwich and four bites of the strawberry cake. While the young boy merely sat on one of the kitchen’s chair´s and stared lengthy into the void. The three adults exchanged concerned looks before Dani took upon herself to try to convince Miles to eat. She used all the techniques she had gather during her nine years teaching. However, nothing seemed to get though the young boy.

Jamie tried her best to talk to Miles. The gardener spent hours talking about anything and everything, trying to get a reaction from Miles. She even told him dirty jokes and promise to watch The Shining with him if he talked to her. But the boy was trapped inside his own mind, drowning deeply on his own traumas, in other to pay attention to Jamie. Dani sat in front of the young boy and told him stories, more complex and interesting stories, hoping to catch a glimpse of his attention. The _Au Pair_ even tried to expand the Star Wars universe she knew Miles loved so much, creating new stories and characters. However, nothing worked.

Aggravating the situation, no one knew Hannah´s whereabout. The housekeeper had disappeared on the previous night and nobody seemed to be able to find her. Owen waited impatiently for Hannah to return throughout the entire Wednesday, coming up with terrible excurses in his head. _Maybe she went to town. Or maybe she is just running some errands._ None of which were truth, he knew. He could feel it in his bones.

* * *

The day after Henry´s funeral, on a Thursday’s morning, Dani had accomplish to convinced Miles to eat three quarters of the steak pie, as well as to nod “Yes or No”, while an overwhelmed with concerned Owen set to search the entire property to find Hannah.

The sun was setting down when the cook finished his fifth failed search. It started drizzling by the time Owen leaned against the water well, pulling a cigarette and a lighter from the back pocket of his wasted blue jeans. Smoking was a habit he had quit a long time ago, back in Paris. However, considering the last few days, smoking was the least of his problems. His mother was dead. Henry was dead. Hannah was missing. The children would probably be put into the adoption system considering they do not have any other family member to look after them. The last topic was something the _Au Pair_ , the gardener and the cook had briefly discussed and decided that it could wait a few days. Despite Dani strong believe in rules and protocols, even the _Au Pair_ had agreed that the call to social services could wait a few days. After all, they have been caring for those children long before Henry passing, and the kids deserved to be able to mourn the lost of their uncle without being snatched from the life they once knew. 

Owen lilt his cigarette, taking a long drag. The cook rested his left hand on the water well´s stone circle edge, as he held the cigarette with his right hand, looking down at the well. He knew the second that he saw her. Hannah. Beautiful, perfect splendid Hannah. The one that always came to his rescue. The only one that always laughed at his bad puns.

Hannah Grose corpse stood at the bottom of the well, facing sideways, on an unnatural position. Owen did not flinch away or screamed. In other to do so, he would have to be able to function. But he could not operate without Hannah. The cook simply fell. He fell to the wet grass as the light faded away into the horizon: A perfect metaphor. Owen could not bring himself to cry, or to call someone. He just stood there, numbed.

For the first time, the cook understood Miles´s behaviour.

They were both in this dark, empty void. They could not feel anything, merely floating in this ocean of nothing. Stuck on this darkness, numbness, loneliness. Just numb, nothing and alone. 

He did not know how long had been since the sunset. Since he found _her_. The rain was pouring heavily when Jamie came looking for him. It was dark, cold, and wet. The gardener found the cook sat on the grass, with his back against the water well, completely soaked. Jamie was carrying a flashlight on her right hand and an umbrella on her left. The gardener swallow hard, afraid of what horrible misfortune could be waiting for them at the bottom of the water well.

Jamie was always a strong brave woman, one that was not afraid to face life adversities. However, considering the events that had befell them on the last few days, the gardener did not know how much more pain and suffer could the children, as well as the adults, endure without breaking down. In the light of the condition that Owen was in, her guess was truly little. Nevertheless, she closed the umbrella shut, putting it down against the exterior stone of the well´s wall, holding the already turned on flashlight with both hands and pointing it to the bottom of the well. 

The gardener jumped backwards, completely terrified by the horrific view of Hannah´s body laying in the bottom of the water well.

A chocked, overwhelmed with grief, tired Jamie, with a lump in her throat and hot tears hidden in her eyes, kneed next to the cook, on the dirty wet grass, pulling Owen close to her body. The gardener hugged him tight, comforting him and telling him that they should return to the manor and tend to Hannah on the following morning. Owen refused it. He would not leave Hannah´s side. Jamie knew better than to insist. The gardener gave the cook her coat and umbrella, leaving him to go back inside the manor, with a promise to return with food later.

Jamie enter the manor with a grievous and exhausted silhouette, managing to hide the great misfortune from the children until the following day, a Friday. Dani had a panic attack upon discovering Hannah´s fate, a reaction that Jamie calmly helped her through it, remembering their bit about the _Au Pair “_ acting mental and her having to talk her down”. An inside joke that earned a small laugh from Dani and a corner of the mouth smile from Jamie, the most resemble of joy they had in days.

The gardener returned to the well later that night, bringing a piece of a pork pie that she and Dani had manage to bake to the children for dinner. Owen polity declined the food. However, Jamie left the Tupperware next to the cook, hoping that he would eventually eat a few bites of the pie. 

* * *

On the following morning, a Friday, Owen enlist the assistant of five men from town to gently lift Hannah´s body from the well. It was assumed that she died accidentally. An unfortunate stumble. After Hannah´s body was taken from the well, Owen rode with her all the way to the coroner. And there, he insisted on cleaning her himself, with a soft towel, soap scented with lavender, and the greatest of care.

Hannah´s funeral was on that Friday afternoon.

It was a simple ceremony, performed on the town´s church that overlooked a splendid graveyard, filled with flowers.

Owen stood at Hannah´s side until she was buried, loving her the whole way.

Flora was holding Jamie´s hand when Hannah´s beautiful wooden coffin was lowered into the grave. The little girl felt the familiar hot tears blurring her vision.

Miles was completely numbed. He stood there, gazing the ocean of void. 

Dani and Jamie were extremely exhausted, as well as overwhelmed with grief upon their friend´s death. However, they were remained standing, for Owen and for the children.

Despite Owen´s relentless efforts to provide a perfectly splendidly funeral for his beloved Hannah, the cook continued to float in the deep dark ocean of nothing, stuck inside his own darkness and numbness.

Once the ceremony was over and the former housekeeper had been put to rest, Owen gazed lengthy into Hannah´s headstone. _“A very happy woman loved by all”._ Said the stone.

Dani remembered her second day in Bly manor, when she found Hannah on the manor´s chapel, gazing the lilt candles on the red cups, for the dead. “There´s more of them than I´d like, the older I get”. Hannah had confessed to the _Au Pair_. Which led Dani to apologize, only to receive the best answer from the housekeeper. “Oh, God, no need”. She sniffed on a soft tone. “I have been, and I remain, a very happy woman”. Hannah gently told the _Au Pair_ on the same tone, putting her hand on the younger girl´s shoulder.

The unusual quintet got back to the car and went back to the empty cold manor. 

Upon arriving at the manor´s grounds, Owen made his way into the small chapel without uttering a single word. His hands were deep inside his pockets as he slowly walked towards the altar. The cook struck one of the matches that stood close to the candles, watching it as it flared. Then, he gentle lifted one of the candles, lighting it. Owen blew out the match and carefully put down the candle into the one of the red cups. He observed the flame for a few minutes. His mind drowning inside the deep, cold, black void of traumas. A single tear ran down his right cheek, the first and only one since Hannah´s death. He cleaned the tear away with the back of his hand, before adjusting his glasses. _Hannah Grose was dead_. The thought echoed inside his mind on his way out of the chapel and into the manor. 


End file.
